Livewire – Amnesty International blogging for human rights

By Fernanda Doz Costa,
Researcher on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Americas

Last Friday, I participated in a very interesting hearing about maternal mortality, where four experts from the Americas gave testimony before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights  in Washington DC.

It was great working in partnership with them; each brought different experience and expertise.
Mario Rios, from Foro Salud in Peru, brought the human rights lawyer perspective to public health issues.

Ximena Andeon, from the Centre for Reproductive Rights, brought the gender expertise.

Ana Maria Pizarro, from Si Mujer! Nicaragua; brought her expertise as a gynaecologist and women rights’ advocate.

Alicia Yamin (Amnesty International’s senior advisor for the Demand Dignity Campaign) brought her recognized expertise on maternal mortality issues.

The Inter-American Commission was very interested in the cases and data we presented, which showed how poor, indigenous, campesino and black women in the Americas are much more at risk of dying due to complications in their pregnancies.

Since it was an open hearing, many people attended. You could tell they felt simultaneously sympathetic and angry, every time we told a story of injustice through the cases we documented in Brazil, Peru and Nicaragua.

The Commissioners asked many questions related to access to justice of these women and their families, since this is an issue the Commission has been following in the region.

The case of Nicaragua caught the attention of one commissioner, due to the total ban on abortion. This means that, for example, a woman with an ectopic pregnancy can’t be treated since both her and the doctor would go to jail.  Many women in Nicaragua are currently dying in such circumstances.

We made clear to the Commissioners that most deaths during pregnancy and childbirth are preventable and thus are a consequence of decisions from governments. Therefore, governments need to be held accountable for these gross human rights violations.

Women and girls form the Americas have been waiting too long to be heard and their health to be prioritized. It is time for the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights to act decisively on this issue. This was our main message.

For those of you who speak Spanish, do listen to the actual hearing on this link:

http://www.cidh.oas.org/prensa/publichearings/Hearings.aspx?Lang=En&Session=117&page=2